Why does Basecamp need to be so complicated. Why should I even use it? If trip planner or route planner was similar to Google Maps then I would find it more friendly. Everytime I try to use Basecamp I get frustrated. All I want to do is go from point A to point B and I want the software to do the work. No, all I seen when I enter an A and a B is a straight line. I guess my mistake was not staying with Tom Tom!:(
It is simple. If you're getting straight lines you either don't have a routeable map selected or you have the direct profile selected.
Bear in mind BaseCamp is a very flexible and powerful program, allowing Garmin users to use multiple devices, load multiple maps and use numerous routing profiles that themselves can be tweaked by the user. If you don't want or need that complexity then there are other programs that you can use. I need and welcome that flexibility, and have no issues using BaseCamp.
Well, I will have to disagree with my friend sussamb on this one. :) For me as an occasional user of Basecamp, it is not simple, it is not intuitive and it has a steep learning curve compared to programs such as Google maps. But it does work and like any program, it gets easier as you learn how to use it. And, the price is right :D
Thank you. I am glad I am not alone. I guess Google should make a GPS. What I would really like is a device to download my map to from Google Maps just as I make it. Far too many times my GPS has led me off where I did not need to go. The worst was my Tom Tom taking me off on a narrow dirt road instead of keeping me on a main highway to get to my destination that was just down the main road.
Well, I will have to disagree with my friend sussamb on this one. :) For me as an occasional user of Basecamp, it is not simple, it is not intuitive and it has a steep learning curve compared to programs such as Google maps. But it does work and like any program, it gets easier as you learn how to use it. And, the price is right :D
I agree completely! It has taken me five years and something like 300-400 hours of time using it and reading nearly EVERY post on this forum to get to the point of being able to make it do everything I want it to do reliably. Is that a steep learning curve or what? :mad:
I initially struggled with it having used MapSource for years, and I think part of the problem was expecting it to work like MapSource. I pretty much use it daily to manage and plan routes on 5 devices and use about 10 different maps and its ability to link with Google Earth. Admittedly earlier versions were more difficult to use but later versions, with their ability to create routes by simply creating a start/end point then 'rubber banding' to make the route go where it's needed, and the ability to send all those 'shaping/do not alert' points to the latest Garmin GPS that use trip planner and have them honored, makes route creation/transferring to devices simple. Add in things like the ability to read maps off a device, to display geotagged photos from my handheld at the correct point in a route, export routes to be shared with others and there's nothing else around that meets my needs in one package.
It really is simple to use once you master a few basics, and far easier to use than MS Word IMO :)
What could possibly be simpler than highlighting POINT A and POINT B, the right clicking and selecting "Create Route From Waypoints"? If you don't like the route then either click and change the Activity, or, hold the Option key and drag the route to the desired path you want it to follow.
Why does Basecamp need to be so complicated. Why should I even use it? If trip planner or route planner was similar to Google Maps then I would find it more friendly. Everytime I try to use Basecamp I get frustrated. All I want to do is go from point A to point B and I want the software to do the work. No, all I seen when I enter an A and a B is a straight line. I guess my mistake was not staying with Tom Tom!:(
I gotta admit, I struggled with Basecamp for quite awhile. But, if you hang in there, you'll find nothing better. If all you wanna do is go from a to b, some other programs might be easier. But myself, I use it for laying out complex motorcycle trips. I need to be able to avoid major highways, locate gas, food, lodging + landmarks. I even use it when I'm trailering the bike to avoid steep grades. Last year I layed out every single day of riding in Sturgis. It worked FLAWLESSLY. My friends can't believe all the places I went + sights I saw in that period of time. Hang in there + post your questions here. This place has helped me immensely.
The folks here who say this tool is simple are living in an altered reality, or have very limited experience using it. Basecamp is a powerful (and wonderful) mapping tool that is VERY complex.
Search for the write-up by Ed Conde of The New England Riders, "Learn Garmin Basecamp". The link is posted here somewhere and this document will get you up and running. It's a lengthy read, but know that you'll only need to read it once.
There are only 3 or 4 CORE functions that you need to know; everything else are extras or specialty functions. Pay specific attention in Ed's booklet about organizing your data and using the four tools in the Edit Features toolbar: Insert Point, Move Point, Erase Point, and Divide. If you know how to create a Waypoint and use these specific tools, then you're 99% of the way to creating custom routes. The other 1% is fine tuning the details around and within your route.
